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UNITED STATES PATENT QEETQE;

HENRY R. ROBBINS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, JAMES E.STANSBURY, AND JOHN B. STANSBURY, OF SAME PLACE.

PRESS AND FORMER FOR MAKING THE HEADS F SHEET-METAL CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,120, dated May 25,1880.

Application filed January 30, 1880.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY R. ROBBINS, of Baltimore city and State ofMaryland, have invented a new and Improved Press and Former for Makingthe Heads of Sheet-Metal Cans; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l is a vertical section. Fig. 2 isanother vertical section taken in a plane at right angles to that inwhich Fig. 1 is taken, and showing in dotted lines the position of theplunger or male die when at the end of its downstroke. Fig. 3 isa-detail sectional view of the can-head, which is the product of themachine. Fig. 4 are details of the sectional ring, the parts beingdisconnected.

My invention relates to a novel form of press for forming a specialconstruction of can-bead, which head is made in one piece, with a skirtor flange at right angles to the main portion, and with a swell or bulgeat the corner.

My press for forming this peculiar head consists in the usual male andfemale die, combined with a detachable segmental ring in the upper edgeof the female die for forming the contracted skirt of the head, togetherwith a pair of formers in the male die and means for projecting themradially outward into the groove formed by the detachable ring of thefemale die, and also means for rotating the said female die, so as tocause the partiallyformed blank to be traversed by the formers to makethe bulge or groove therein at the point where the edge of the shelljoins the head, as hereinafter fully described.

The press for making these heads is composed of a stationary bed-block,G, a stationary top block, D, a rotary female die, E, and areciprocating male die, F.

The female or lower die is made of a circular exterior, and rests in acircular recess of the bed-block upon a circular row of frictionballs,G, which balls are retained partly in an annular groove in the bed-blockand partly in a corresponding annular groove in the bottom of the femaledie. Said female die is also provided with a downwardly-projectingspindle,

H, which passes through a central hole or hearing in the bed-block andconnects below with mechanism (not shown) of any suitable character forturning the female die horizontally upon its balls. The upper portion ofthe fe' male die is recessed with a circular cavity corresponding to theshape and depth of the canhead, and is provided with a segmental orseetional ring, I, in the lower portion of which is formed a groove, 6.

The male die F, which is the counterpart of the female die,is providedwith a stem, f, whichrises through an opening in the top block, D, andconnects with mechanism of any suitable character (not shown) adapted togive to the male die a vertical reciprocating movement. In the oppositesides of the male die are arranged curved and adjustable formers g,which extend through channels passing from the upper horizontal side ofthe male die to the lower portion of the vertical side, so that theirends or toes rest, when the male die is down, in the same plane with thegroove 6 of the female die.

These formers may be made either curved or straight, and are held up bysprings h, and are normally withdrawn thereby into the channels of themale die, so that their lower ends do not project 5 but they are madecapable of projection to cause their lower ends to traverse the grooveof the female die and form the swell or bulge in the can-head. jectingthese formers the stem f of the male die is provided with a feather orspline, f, that slides in a corresponding groove in the top block andprevents the male die from turning axially.

A bifurcated lever, J, is also hinged on top of the top block andarranged to bear upon two loose pins, 2' t, which slide through holes inthe top block and hear at their lower ends upon the top of the formersg, to cause them to be projected.

Now, in striking up the can-head, the disk of metal is placed betweenthe male and female die, and the male die then brought down, forming thecup-shaped head of the can. Then the lever J is depressed and theformers 9 projected into the groove 6, and simultaneously therewith themechanismfor rotating the lower For thus prodie is set in motion and thelower die carrying the now cup-shaped blank moves with said blank, andas the latter is carried over the projecting toes of the formers g themetal at this point is thrown out into-the groove 0 and a bulge or swellformed in the head of the can. The male die is then raised, and thesheetmetal can-head and segmental ring are taken out together.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. Thecombination of a stationary bed-block, a stationary top block, a rotaryfemale die,

and a reciprocating male die having formers groove containingfriction-balls G and a central opening, of the female die fitting in therecess of the bed-block and resting upon the friction-balls, andprovided with a downwardly-projectin g spindle passing through thebedblook for turning the said female die, as and for the purposedescribed.

3. The combination, with the female die having a groove, 6, of the maledie having curved formers g, held up by springs h, the top block havingholes therethrough, with loose pins 2' z and the lever J, adapted topress upon the tops of the pins to project the formers, substantially asdescribed.

HENRY R. ROBBINS;

Witnesses:

EDWARD STARR, SoLoN O. KEMoN.

